I've been wanting to read The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese, but it's just sooooo long and heavy in all meanings of the word. It's been staring at me from my bookshelf. I'll get around to it eventually, I hope!
I read that recently. I had to start it twice, but the second time I became fully immersed right away. It took a long time to read, and I didn't like the last third or fourth of the book, but it was worth it.
I have such a hard time finishing big books! I find that they really need to be stellar for me to see them through, and even then it takes a long time. I have read Midnight's Children, loved the first half of it but got a little bored about 3/4 of the way through. I also found Anna Karenina rather easy and not that special compared to Dostoyevsky's Brothers Karamazov. Two other huge books I loved are Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellman and 2666 by ROberto Bolano. Since finishing them, I bought Norman Mailer's The Executioner's song and 4321 by Paul Auster. I'm quite intimidated by them, though, so I haven't started either.
Yes by almost the end of Midnights Children I was just dying to get it done! I am planning to read Brothers Karamazov second half of next year. Heard good things about it. The titles in your big book suggestions alone sounds really daunting 😮
I love this idea of tackling the books we are afraid of - Beloved was absolutely on that list for me, and it was SUCH a hard read I was physically depressed after finishing but its important work. Bravo to you for facing your fears. My next one up is Dostoyevsky 👀
Agree! it’s such an important work. I am planning to read Brothers Karamazov second half next year. First half being Don Quijote. I decided I can only read big books twice a year 😂
Beloved is truly a masterpiece - well done for sitting with it even in the most uncomfortable moments! And I really admire you for reading Anna Karenina Jam! It’s definitely a book I’d like to read one day but I have also always been deterred by the length. A friend of mine read it recently and said it was pretty damn good!
I've been intimidated by Anna Karenina for ages, but it's on my TBR! I only recently began reading long books. For me, length does play a factor on whether I read something.
Thanks for this, Jam! I wanted to read Anna Karenina back in highschool because I found the movie intriguing (and was going through a Keira Knightley phase). But I postponed it because I didn't have a good experience with Crime and Punishment - we had to "cram read" it for a school project. Thankfully I got around to reading A.K. and it is much easier to read!
I've been struggling to read The Conjugal Dictatorship and Dekada 70 - both of which I've had since 2022. I know the topics are heavy, I know I have to find the courage to read them, but maybe I just need to be in a good space mentally? Not sure. But I'm glad I have these books. :)
omg they had you read Crime and Punishment in school? College ba or HS? I only knew about AK and C&P just these last few years. I read Dekada 70 and intro palang masakit na. Bautista wrote about her friend who had a son that was tortured in the Martial Law era and I kept crying when I read that so yeah you have to be in a good place to read it. I hope you get to read it someday.
C&P was required reading in 4th year high school. 4th quarter pa - when everyone is already high on adrenaline from college entrance exam results and graduation preps. Our class was tasked to do a dramatization of the trial, and me and 1 other girl were tasked with reading and making the script. That's all I recall from the time (and the book) - my brain blocked it out already haha!
Thanks for the heads up re: Dekada 70 🥺 and thank you for writing these reviews! 🤩
I've been wanting to read The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese, but it's just sooooo long and heavy in all meanings of the word. It's been staring at me from my bookshelf. I'll get around to it eventually, I hope!
I heard great things about it. It's so hard getting oneself to start a huge book, though, isn't it?
I read that recently. I had to start it twice, but the second time I became fully immersed right away. It took a long time to read, and I didn't like the last third or fourth of the book, but it was worth it.
heard a lot of good things about this book too!
I have such a hard time finishing big books! I find that they really need to be stellar for me to see them through, and even then it takes a long time. I have read Midnight's Children, loved the first half of it but got a little bored about 3/4 of the way through. I also found Anna Karenina rather easy and not that special compared to Dostoyevsky's Brothers Karamazov. Two other huge books I loved are Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellman and 2666 by ROberto Bolano. Since finishing them, I bought Norman Mailer's The Executioner's song and 4321 by Paul Auster. I'm quite intimidated by them, though, so I haven't started either.
Yes by almost the end of Midnights Children I was just dying to get it done! I am planning to read Brothers Karamazov second half of next year. Heard good things about it. The titles in your big book suggestions alone sounds really daunting 😮
I love this idea of tackling the books we are afraid of - Beloved was absolutely on that list for me, and it was SUCH a hard read I was physically depressed after finishing but its important work. Bravo to you for facing your fears. My next one up is Dostoyevsky 👀
Agree! it’s such an important work. I am planning to read Brothers Karamazov second half next year. First half being Don Quijote. I decided I can only read big books twice a year 😂
Beloved is truly a masterpiece - well done for sitting with it even in the most uncomfortable moments! And I really admire you for reading Anna Karenina Jam! It’s definitely a book I’d like to read one day but I have also always been deterred by the length. A friend of mine read it recently and said it was pretty damn good!
It’s really good and easy to read. I know you’re a fast reader Martha and I bet you can finish it 8 days! 1 book per day.
Hahahaha well I think I’ll try next year and see if I really can finish it in 8 days 😉
I've been intimidated by Anna Karenina for ages, but it's on my TBR! I only recently began reading long books. For me, length does play a factor on whether I read something.
I used to never read anything beyond 400 pages haha but I keep seeing that Anna Karenina is so good that I had to take up the challenge!
Same!
Thanks for this, Jam! I wanted to read Anna Karenina back in highschool because I found the movie intriguing (and was going through a Keira Knightley phase). But I postponed it because I didn't have a good experience with Crime and Punishment - we had to "cram read" it for a school project. Thankfully I got around to reading A.K. and it is much easier to read!
I've been struggling to read The Conjugal Dictatorship and Dekada 70 - both of which I've had since 2022. I know the topics are heavy, I know I have to find the courage to read them, but maybe I just need to be in a good space mentally? Not sure. But I'm glad I have these books. :)
omg they had you read Crime and Punishment in school? College ba or HS? I only knew about AK and C&P just these last few years. I read Dekada 70 and intro palang masakit na. Bautista wrote about her friend who had a son that was tortured in the Martial Law era and I kept crying when I read that so yeah you have to be in a good place to read it. I hope you get to read it someday.
C&P was required reading in 4th year high school. 4th quarter pa - when everyone is already high on adrenaline from college entrance exam results and graduation preps. Our class was tasked to do a dramatization of the trial, and me and 1 other girl were tasked with reading and making the script. That's all I recall from the time (and the book) - my brain blocked it out already haha!
Thanks for the heads up re: Dekada 70 🥺 and thank you for writing these reviews! 🤩
omg intense haha